My own English teachers/profs were always among the best, or at least most interestingly dressed academics I've met, surpassed only by one history teacher in high school who had an extremely extensive collection of tweed suits. A wrinkled, purple polka dot shirt still would have been a possibility, though, and no Brioni. EDIT: fareau, haha. Going to clown college is a lifelong dream...

you should curse him anyway. that's what we english-speaking types like to do to each other for fun. anyway: kiton, brioni - these are italian things. better he should wear a chester barrie jacket. with some breeches.

Academic dress--ah, yes. . . . Â I'll never forget the visiting lecturer who taught a summer-long seminar without once changing his clothes. Â He came to the first session in a bright blue madras sportcoat that had obviously been slept in for weeks. Â Portions of this extraordinary garment were already unrecognizable, with immense jet black stains at the collar and under the arms. Â The sweat-stiffened lapels and coattails were accordion-pleated by random, razor-sharp creases, revealing great patches of lining. Â Surely, one thought, such damage could result from nothing but the most purposeful, painstaking, malign intent. Need I add that this guy was one of the three or four most distinguished scholars in his field?

I'll never forget the visiting lecturer who taught a summer-long seminar without once changing his clothes. He came to the first session in a bright blue madras sportcoat that had obviously been slept in for weeks. Portions of this extraordinary garment were already unrecognizable, with immense jet black stains at the collar and under the arms. The sweat-stiffened lapels and coattails were accordion-pleated by random, razor-sharp creases, revealing great patches of lining. Surely, one thought, such damage could result from nothing but the most purposeful, painstaking, malign intent.

No way.. Did anyone catch that thread on ask andy, wherein the dot com genius had written into his contract that he could come to work in a bathrobe? That was classic...

No Kidding here - my first job after grad school I worked in high tech on a 4-building campus. Suits had to stay in bldgs A and B and were absolutely not allowed in D where I was (R & D department - parallel supercomputing design group) where shoes were quite literally optional, rollerblades common in the hallways and cutoff shorts common. ...average salary in that building??? $200K+ Oh dear... I just came out of the closet and revealed that I was once a geek.